NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper
Grand Canyon University NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper– Step-By-Step Guide
This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Grand Canyon University NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.
How to Research and Prepare for NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper
Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Grand Canyon University NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.
How to Write the Introduction for NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper
The introduction for the Grand Canyon University NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.
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How to Write the Body for NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper
After the introduction, move into the main part of the NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.
Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.
How to Write the Conclusion for NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper
After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.
How to Format the References List for NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper
The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.
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Sample Answer for NRS 429 Week 2 Epidemiology Paper
Since the beginning of time, populations of the world have been affected by numerous infections and diseases. Some of these ailments have had catastrophic effects on mankind and have threatened the survival of different groups of people. For instance, in the periods of Middle and Dark Ages, plagues were common and this led to mortality of millions of people in Europe (MacNeil et al., 2019). The high incident rates of morbidity and mortality reported during this time prompted scientific research in the field of medicine, which led to the discovery of vaccines and other solutions to combat these diseases. Despite these discoveries, there is always an infection that proves to be a menace to populations in the world. As key players in the field of medicine, nurses are expected to remain abreast with the patterns of disease occurrences to ensure that they provide effective care to patients (Harkness & DeMarco, 2016). Through epidemiology studies, nurses gain understanding on the spread of diseases and gain insights about the current preventive measures aimed at managing or controlling the spread of these ailments. As a case in epidemiology, tuberculosis (TB) provides the basis for this discussion.
According to Crepet et al. (2016), the condition is a major public health concern throughout the world as it competes with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in causing deaths to patients. Since its discovery in 1882, TB has continued to cause misery and death with the vulnerable populations being the hardest hit across the world (Sulis et al., 2014). However, despite a regular declining trend in the incidences of TB over the last decades, new cases and deaths associated with the condition continue to soar when compared with other infectious diseases. As such, there is a need to explore the determinants of health concerning TB and assess the role of community health nurses in controlling the spread of infections. The present study provides a discussion on TB by analyzing the diseases in terms of epidemiologic triangle, the role of nurses in addressing the disease, elaboration of agencies dealing with the ailment and global implication of the disease.
Description of the Communicable Disease: TB
TB is an infectious disease that largely affects the lungs. It is caused by a bacteria known as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is readily transmitted through air especially when a patient with the disease coughs or sneezes (Galic, 2017). The disease spreads from populations in one community to another or from country to country particularly when people travel. In today’s modern world, there is a tendency for people to travel across several regions and this makes TB a health issue of global concern. Even though the incidence rates of TB are decreasing in the United States of America, there is a common trend in the rise of the disease in many countries of the world (Murray et al., 2014). Nonetheless, the prevalence of drug-resistant TB is rising and this has emerged to be an issue that cannot be overlooked if the efforts to control the disease are to be achieved.
MacNeil et al. (2019) postulate that the incidence rates of TB remain high globally when compared with other contagious diseases. About 33% of the population in the world is presumed to be susceptible or tainted with TB infections with new attacks estimated to affect 1% of the world’s population. In 2012, 8.6 million new cases of the disease were reported throughout the world. Besides, within the same year, 1.3 million deaths related to TB were recorded indicating how the disease is dangerous to populations of the world. Additionally, in 2016, the number of deaths soared and was estimated at 1.5 million people with most fatalities reported in developing economies of the world (Crepet et al., 2016). Asia and Africa were the hardest hit as they took the lion’s share of proportions of death at 80% while those resulting from the USA were estimated to be 5-10%. In 2017, approximately 10 million incidences of TB were recorded and the number of deaths estimated to be 1.57 million people (Galic, 2017). South-East Asia and Africa still reported high causes with 9% of the total deaths estimated to be among individuals infected with HIV.
Globally, TB is the leading cause of mortality from a single cause of communicable disease agents and is also the leading cause of deaths in people with HIV accounting for about 40% of the deaths. Notably, TB is categorized as a poverty-related disease as it disproportionately affects the poorest economies and the most vulnerable together with the marginalized populations across the world (Murray et al., 2014). As such, TB is a reportable disease and groups affected should provide information about their condition early enough to help in controlling its spread. Improving access to early diagnosis and care is one of the basic requirements aimed at reducing the incidence rates of the disease among vulnerable populations (Lacerda et al., 2014). Nonetheless, TB may not be controlled without setting up an operational surveillance system and this relies on reporting of the epidemic to help assess the extent of the infection and to guide in defining intervention measures.
TB infection occurs in four stages in the lungs of an affected person. The initial stage is characterized by macrophage response to the bacterial infection. The second phase entails the growth stage while the third stage refers to the immune control stage. The lung cavitation stage is the final phase of TB development and this is manifested through the visible symptoms of the disease. All these four stages occur just within one month. The most common symptoms of TB include a persistent and productive cough that lasts three weeks or more, chest pain, fever, unintentional weight loss, night sweats, and fatigue. Prescription medications have been developed to treat and manage TB in their different stages of development. These include isoniazid, ethambutol, rifampin, and pyrazinamide.
Determinants of Health and How They Contribute to The Development of TB
Health is presumed to start from homes, places of work, neighborhoods, schools, and communities. It is apparent that when people do not eat well or practice healthy living at home, they are likely to contract diseases. Besides, access to education, job opportunities and available health care in an economy greatly define the health status of the populace in a given locality (Lacerda et al., 2014). Nonetheless, the availability of social support services and public safety programs influence the health outcomes of different populations throughout the world. Moreover, transportation options, culture, exposure to violence or crime and socio-economic conditions prevailing in a country determine the quality of health of populations therein.
As earlier indicated, poor economies of the world are negatively affected by the TB pandemic (Williams, Priest & Anderson, 2016). Essentially, these economies suffer from poor access to healthcare most of which are strained due to inadequate resources and lack of properly trained staff. Effective treatment of TB remains a challenge to these economies as the cost of medication remains high to the already struggling countries. Fundamentally, the level and quality of education have a profound impact on the spread and management of TB. The education status of a person influences health choices and the ability to interpret education on self-care given to them (Murray et al., 2014). TB is particularly a serious condition that the victims must take keen interest to handle if they wish to optimize quality of their life. The patients are required to adhere to a medication regimen administered to them and also stick to guidelines on good nutrition to improve recovery (Galic, 2017). Often, developing economies suffer from increased incidences of resistant TB due to poor compliance with medications. The reasons for this can be attributed to lack of adequate finances to buy the prescribed drugs or polypharmacy associated with multiple diseases especially HIV (Williams, Priest & Anderson, 2016). These phenomena increase the patterns of TB especially in communities in poor resource settings.
The concept of public safety is one key aspect that must be addressed to control the spread of TB. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have rolled out campaigns to encourage people to seek treatment in case they have characteristic symptoms of TB (MacNeil et al., 2019). These campaigns are aimed at sensitizing people about the contagious nature of TB and the need to seek early treatment to control the spread of the infections. However, social marginalization in developing countries has contributed to limited access to materials or information required to optimize public safety campaigns. The premise has contributed to delays in diagnosis, clinical worsening as well as poor adherence to TB medications (Williams, Priest & Anderson, 2016). As such, global disease control strategies have not been achieved in these hard-to-reach groups and this has stagnated efforts to control TB in African and South-East Asia.
Epidemiologic Triangle and its Relationship with TB
An epidemiologic triangle is modeled based on the occurrences and spread of TB among the vulnerable populations. This model has three edges known as vertices and it starts with the host factors which entail the person susceptible to the infection (MacNeil et al., 2019). The second vertex is the agent factor and refers to the virulent nature of the infectious agents. Besides, different disease agents develop a variety of strains or mutative strains to survive in a given host or respond to treatments. The third vertex is the environment and this relates to the prevailing condition where the infectious agents survive the most. Often, infectious microorganisms thrive best under room temperature, neutral pH and in areas with adequate nutrients or in a lipophilic medium.
In focusing on the epidemiologic triangle, human beings serve as the host for the development of TB infections. For one to contract the disease, they need to be exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis by getting into close contact with an infected person. The infection of TB is also high among populations with low immunity or those having immunosuppressant infections like HIV. As concerning the agent factors, the bacteria causing TB to develop virulence based on the host factors and this permits the progression of the infection at different stages.
There is also a concern about the emergence of TB strains related to the non-compliance to prescribed medications. The strains include the Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) and the Extensively Drug-Resistant TB (XDR-TB) most of which contribute significantly to the deaths of patients. The environmental factors on the other hand points at the hosts and the prevailing conditions that improve the survival of the bacteria. One must strive to break the cycle in the spread of TB if they wish to control the condition. The premise entails controlling the point of entry of the medication or seeking prompt care in case one contracts the ailment.
Role of Community Health Nurse
According to Harkness and DeMarco (2016), community health nurses serve critical roles in providing treatment to patients. In essence, they diagnose the prevailing health condition of a client which will enable them to offer interventions aimed at improving the quality of life for patients. Often, community health nurses are required to perform epidemiologic surveillance so that they understand disease patterns in a given region. Nonetheless, community health nurses provide health education to members of a community to reduce the occurrence of ailments or deaths associated with those diseases. In the context of TB, a community health nurse provides risk communication to the populations affected by TB. The approach entails the identification of individuals susceptible to TB infections within a community (Harkness & DeMarco, 2016). Communication also involves dissemination of vital information on methods of care to lessen the transmission and contraction of TB.
Occasionally, community health nurses assess standards put in place to identify indicators of TB management and reactions of patients to interventions administered. With this, nurses survey the findings on care of patients based on protocol established by relevant agencies (Harkness & DeMarco, 2016). In looking at the disease through different lenses, community health nurses suggest possible options that can be used to update treatment alternatives that aim to improve TB management.
One National Agency or Organization that Address TB
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is one of the agencies in America that actively address TB pandemic. The organization undertakes disease surveillance to categorize communities susceptible to the infection. The CDC receives data from states in America to analyze reports on incidence rates of TB. Through national inventory data, the organization reports cases of morbidity and mortality associated with TB. The agency provides preventive measures to manage the spread of the disease (Crepet et al., 2016). Through its research laboratories, the CDC develops therapy options in the management of different strains of TB infections. The organization also addresses comorbidities of TB particularly HIV and provides guidelines on health practices that can reduce the virulence of the two infections. Often, the CDC provides publications on practice guidelines for managing all stages of TB infections. Nonetheless, the agency avails a standardized checklist for the identification of symptoms of TB (Sulis et al., 2014). These also include providing information on personal behavior that can prevent the spread of the infection.
Global Implications of TB
TB significantly contributes to the global burden of diseases and also leads to deaths among affected populations. In 2017 alone, 10 million new cases of TB were reported and deaths estimated at 1.57 million (MacNeil et al., 2019). The statistics indicate that despite being preventable as well as curable, the disease tops as the leading cause of mortality globally from infectious ailments. Moreover, TB is ranked as the leading cause of death for people infected with HIV. In 2017, 300,000 deaths were reported to be of people suffering comorbidities of HIV and TB (Galic, 2017). Countries with weak economies particularly in South-East Asia and Africa are categorized as high-burden nations as they need a lot of resources to tackle the rising incidences of the pandemic. The affluent economies, on the other hand, provide funding to support TB research in developing countries.
Conclusion
Tuberculosis is an infectious condition of global concern due to high reported cases of morbidity and mortality ever since its discovery. The geographic pandemic of the infection is skewed towards countries with weak economies particularly in South-East Asia and Africa. While successful treatment and management of TB remain a global challenge, there is a need for further research to address future risks associated with the pandemic.
References
Crepet, A., Repetto, E., Al Rousan, A., Sané Schepisi, M., Girardi, E., Prestileo, T., … & Decroo, T. (2016). Lessons learnt from TB screening in closed immigration centres in Italy. International health, 8(5), 324-329. Doi:10.1093/inthealth/ihw025.
Galic, K. (2017). An overview of tuberculosis: What you need to know. In Tuberculosis of the Central Nervous System (pp. 541-550). Springer, Cham.
Harkness, G. A., & DeMarco, R. F. (2016). Community and public health nursing: Evidence for practice. PA, Wolters Kluwer.
Lacerda, S. N. B., de Abreu Temoteo, R. C., de Figueiredo, T. M. R. M., de Luna, F. D. T., de Sousa, M. A. N., de Abreu, L. C., & Fonseca, F. L. A. (2014). Individual and social vulnerabilities upon acquiring tuberculosis: A literature systematic review. International archives of medicine, 7(1), 35. Doi:10.1186/1755-7682-7-35.
MacNeil, A., Glaziou, P., Sismanidis, C., Maloney, S., & Floyd, K. (2019). Global epidemiology of tuberculosis and progress toward achieving global targets—2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 68(11), 263. Doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6811a3.
Murray, C. J., Ortblad, K. F., Guinovart, C., Lim, S. S., Wolock, T. M., Roberts, D. A., … & Wang, H. (2014). Global, regional, and national incidence and mortality for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria during 1990–2013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, 384(9947), 1005-1070. Doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60844-8.
Sulis, G., Roggi, A., Matteelli, A., & Raviglione, M. C. (2014). Tuberculosis: Epidemiology and control. Mediterranean journal of hematology and infectious diseases, 6(1). Doi:10.4084/MJHID.2014.070
Williams, D. R., Priest, N., & Anderson, N. B. (2016). Understanding associations among race, socioeconomic status, and health: Patterns and prospects. Health Psychology, 35(4), 407. Doi:10.1037/hea0000242.
NRS-429 VARK Analysis Paper
Introduction
A learning style is a technique through which learners collect, search through, interpret, organize, make conclusions, and preserve knowledge. Learning styles are grouped as per sensory approaches; namely, visual, aural, read or write, and kinesthetic (Whitney, 2018). Visual learning style is whereby learners understand by use of visual tools while in aural, they understand well when they listen to instructions. The read or write learners learn best through reading or writing while in the kinesthetic group, learners gain knowledge and understanding when they are allowed to touch and feel (Whitney, 2018). The purpose of this paper will be to explore learning styles and strategies for learners. I will include a summary of my learning style as per the VARK questionnaire and the importance of identifying learning styles for educators and in health promotion.
Personal Learning Style
My learning style preference, according to the VARK questionnaire, is Strong Kinesthetic (VARK 2019). Kinesthetic preference is described as one that a learner uses experiences and real things even when they are displayed as images and on screens. My VARK results were as follows: visual-0, Aural 4, Read or Write- 3, and Kinesthetic 9 (VARK 2019). As per my learning style, I prefer to have more experiences to enhance understanding of concepts.
Preferred Learning Strategy
My preferred learning strategy is using practical experiences and real-life case studies to solve problems. By using a practical approach, I understand the concept better and also retain it for an extended period. Besides, I consider ideas to be valuable if they sound real, practical and relevant to me. I also need to do things practically to understand. Furthermore, I prefer a feedback that involves a face-to-face discussion whereby I am shown examples of projects that demonstrate success or failure. Moreover, I prefer trainers who use examples of real-life occurrences when explaining a point since I remember the examples and relate them with the concept learned. When assessing my understanding, I look at case studies and try to solve them with the gained knowledge to determine if the theory is valuable to real-life situations.
My learning style is in line with the identified learning strategies identified for individuals with a kinesthetic strategy. According to the VARK results, people with my learning style preference like to be trained or learn through practical exercises, examples, experiences, case studies, trial and error, and using things that are real (VARK 2019). They prefer learning from autobiographies and documentaries and applications before studying theories. Besides, they prefer to have demonstrations done before applying what they have learned and like having conversations about the real things in their lives (VARK 2019). Their own experiences are more valuable than the experiences of others, and they prefer undertaking activities with others through actions and making things happen (VARK 2019). Furthermore, they enjoy working on practical problems where they gain problem-solving techniques.
Importance of Identifying Learning Styles for Learners as an Educator
An individual’s learning style determines the degree to which one acquires knowledge and skills since individuals understand better either by visualizing, hearing, reading, or being hands on (Whitney, 2018). Further, individuals learn better when the teaching style used suits their learning style hence making them memorize what they learned during the educational activity. When educators promote a learning environment that addresses the learning styles of learners, the latter can study better and feel more comfortable in their unique styles rather than having to adapt to the changing teaching styles used by the former (Bastable, 2017). Educators need to identify the learning styles and preferences of learners since it helps not only the educator but also the learner in being more effective in the learning process.
By understanding a learner’s learning style; an educator can determine the type of teaching method, resources and teaching methods to use. For instance, auditory learners will best learn through discussions, tape recordings, seminars, and discussions, and they will probably enquire on what they have not understood (Bastable, 2017). Besides, tests for auditory learners will be best conducted using oral examinations. Moreover, by making learners aware of their learning style, educators can empower them to identify the necessity of each learning style for various disciplines.
Learning Styles and Health Promotion
Health providers need to identify the learning styles of individuals when conducting health promotion to ensure that they will learn, understand and practice the health messages provided to promote better health outcomes. Individuals tend to be interested in health education messages when their learning style is considered during health promotion (Kangovi & Asch, 2018). Learning styles affect behavior change as individuals modify their behaviors based on what they saw, heard or practiced in the health promotion programs. An individual’s learning style determines the possibility of modification of behavior as the patient understand and master information faster and easier when their learning preferences are utilized (Kangovi & Asch, 2018). The different learning styles can be accommodated in health promotion by targeting all the senses when providing health education (Sharma, 2016). For instance, when educating individuals on the prevention of diseases, lectures and seminars can be held which target auditory learners and images and videos can enhance the sessions to target visual and kinesthetic learners. In addition, health education pamphlets can be administered for individuals to read further, which targets read and write learners (Sharma, 2016). During health promotion sessions, case studies can be presented for the learners to discuss and come up with solutions which can suit kinesthetic and auditory learners.
Conclusion
In summary, learning styles, according to VARK, include visual, aural, read or write, and kinesthetic. Learners learn best when the teaching style is tailored to suit their learning style. It is, therefore, essential for educators to identify their learners learning style to promote a comfortable learning environment and enhance their understanding. It is also essential for health educators to understand the learning styles of individuals, including their patients during health promotion programs. Modification of behavior is enhanced by the utilization of appropriate teaching styles that suit learner’s preferences. Besides, different learning styles can be incorporated during health promotion programs to meet the preferences of all learners.
References
Bastable, S. B. (2017). Nurse as educator: Principles of teaching and learning for nursing practice. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Kangovi, S., & Asch, D. A. (2018). Behavioral phenotyping in health promotion: embracing or avoiding failure. Jama, 319(20), 2075-2076.
Sharma, M. (2016). Theoretical foundations of health education and health promotion. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Whitney, S. (2018). Teaching and learning styles. Health promotion: Health and wellness across the continuum. Retrieved from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/4
VARK Learn Limited. (2019). The VARK questionnaire. Retrieved from